Surly & I Accept Darryl Sutter’s Offer

After practice today, coach Darryl Sutter was asked if there’s been any message to Bernier, in terms of staying prepared?

“That’s his job,” said Sutter. “We have one season that’s done on Monday or Tuesday (referring to the upcoming break in the NHL schedule for the All Star Game). Then, another one starts a week after that. That’s the only way I look at it. I’m not about anything other than getting the max out of everybody. If the players have to stay ready and sharp in practice, that’s going to be there problem, not mine. He’s been fine though, he’s been awesome. What more do you want? Obviously he probably wants to play more. But, it’s about winning games right now. We’re in a playoff battle. When he goes in, he better look at like it’s game seven.”

Do you have a rough plan for the goalie rotation?

“I think everybody that has an ace does that or tries to. But, very seldom does that hold. Especially in a year where our team gets a seven day break. So, that’s what you have to try and manage. Quite honestly, we have 32 games left after the break and we have six back to backs and a lot of road games. So, you have to think that he’s going to play more than he did in the first 50 (games).“

In law school, you learn that a contract requires an offer, acceptance and consideration. Consideration means something of value that is bargained for exchange. When this trinity comes together, you have a meeting of the minds or, if you prefer Latin as I do, consensus ad idem.

Darryl Sutter has made an offer.

“OBJECTION!” you may proclaim. “There is no such offer, Scribe! He merely implies Jonathan Bernier may get more games.”

First, fuck off.

Second, we have an implied contract. Sutter has implied he will play Bernier more post All-Star Break. I have implied that if he fails to do so, I may become angry and suddenly and without notice take unkindly to his unintended quips that smell of shit and sheep. Two implications make an express agreement. The mob is fickle. Around these parts, they are also dangerous.

Jonathan Bernier gets a minimum 20% of the remaining games or we enforce our contractual rights through an assault of apoplectic prose…and it can start on Monday against Ottawa.

32 replies

It doesn’t matter if Sutter starts Patrick Roy in his prime. Until Lombardi manages to draft, trade for, or materialize out of thin air something approximating wingers who can actually put the puck in the net, the team will win some against good teams and lose some against the average to poor teams.

You know as well as I do…… good teams find a way to win even when they aren’t playing their best. Thats often because a skilled forward finds a way to make one big play that turns the tide. We all know that there are essentially four forwards who score on this team…. and that very often when the team wins it’s because one of the goals was scored by a dman or very very occasionally a bottom six forward.

That 50 games into the season (49 is u wanna be xact)… we only have ONE WINGER who has more than ten goals is an effing travesty.

… Well, let’s just take the time to look at it, here. I’m figuring Bernier gets the start on Monday. That closes the month of January, and incidentally gives me a long needed break from this team. I think the rest of the players need the break, too.

As for February, Quick will likely get the starts on the 1st vs the Jackets and the 3rd at St. Louis.

Bernier gets Carolina on the 4th. Quick and Bernier will split the Sunshine State, and I think Bernier will get the Panthers with Quick getting Tampa.

If Bernier’s sharp against Florida, he might even get the start on the 11th at Long Island.

After that, there’s a back to back with the Kings going to Phoenix and then Colorado. I think Bernier will get Colorado, seeing as how Quick has failed to beat them this season.

There’s another back to back on the road at the end of the month, with Nashville followed by Minnesota. I can see Bernier getting Minnesota.

So, from now until the end of February, the Kings will play 15 games. If I’m estimating correctly, Bernier will get 5 or 6 of those 15.

March is going to make or break this team. They have to run the gauntlet. Nashville twice. Detroit twice. Chicago. San Jose. St. Louis. Boston. Vancouver. Two at the end of the season against San Jose in April. Four games against the Ducks, who always play the Kings tough. It’s BRUTAL.

If the Kings feel like Quick gives them the best chance of winning the tough games in March and April, they had better get Bernier in there as much as possible between now and the end of February.

I like this thinking, nice analysis. I hope Bernier gets the 5 or 6, but it makes too much sense and is therefore unlikely. Even if it were plainly obvious and proven to Sutter in quantifiable terms that Quick needs 60 games or less (mindful of the late season lapses purportedly due to fatigue two years ago) to be fresh for the playoffs, I worry that Quick will still get overused.

In short, every time I think of this subject I think of Kiprusoff’s starts per year.

Get rid of stoll, penner, doughty and the late round #1 pick. Trade them for whatever scoring help we can get. We are deep enough at D to take up the slack. Sign quick. LTIR gagne. Fire Jamie Kompon officially. Get some grit like ruutu. Get a top six sniper for richards. Get some decent wingers for lotki. I like the fourth line and the first line and the goalie. There is no team chemistry or uniformity. Its a bunch of individuals running around out there. Get some team speed. Doesn’t look like alll of this will be accomplished until the offseason and next year though. How did we go from supposed contenders this piece of shit disjointed product?

You have pushed the panic button, pulled the ripcord and jumped ship way to early.

Were you a premature baby? Do you have a problem with pre-mature ejaculation?

Getting rid of, firing, all these things are not going to really do much for this season.

Lets backup a second.

Trade Stoll/Penner for what? The best return for either or both is some scrub or a 4th/5th round or later round draft pick. These guys are UFA’s after this season. If they aren’t scoring here, what makes anyone think they will score someplace else?

The team isn’t scoring enough, with or without Penner or Stoll.

You want to add a player Tuomo Ruutu. Unless you are a Carolina fan, you obviously read this in a Bleacher Report hypothetical question. FYI Ruutu is a UFA after this season, so how is this going to help the scoring?

Getting a top 6 sniper for Richards. Who would you like?

Get Loktionov wings, probably easier said than done. Even if Loktionov had wings, this wouldn’t be adding much additional scoring. Loktionov is still in learning mode.

Kings prospects in terms of forwards.

The AHL prospects in Manchester Cliche 89th, King 96th, Kozun 118th, and Vey 153rd overall in scoring. King did nothing in his stint last season, and Kozun does deserve a few games this season, just to see. should be given a look.

Vey is in his 1st season as a pro, but DL does not like to rush a players development unless he has shown he is playing at his projected position.

CHL prospects: Toffoli/Weal/Andreoff probably not going to be playing in the NHL very soon, unless they just shred at the next levels.

College: Nick Shore

Fire Kompon. Well I think that is probably a no brainer, but not until the end of the season most likely.

You say the Kings are a disjointed piece of shit, and a bunch individuals running around. I guess you have written this season off, even though its a little over halfway completed.

You seem to exclude the GM who has built this team from the back out. The GM who has hired a few coaches, some good, others not so good. Its too early to tell is Sutter is a good or bad choice. The GM who has made some bad decisions, letting UFA’s walk, questionable draft choices, some trades which have worked, and some which haven’t.

I would gladly take a pick for Stoll. Or re-sign him this offseason for cheaper and then trade his ass away. He is not very good and wasn’t that good last year either. We should have traded him last year when he had more value.

Fans were OFFERED a young team, full of promise. Fans bought in and ACCEPTED that team provided it would be a contender. Still waiting for something to CONSIDER (besides the Kovalchuck, Penner and Gagne fiascoes).

Jesus, does Lombardi believe a new, high scoring team is going to suddenly emerge at this late date? Clearly the 4 and 5 goal games were flukes.

Well I understand why the blind DD hatred (even though I fully loath it), but how does trading our best offensive defenseman for more scoring help? It’s an oxymoron. Looking to improve your offense by starting off with trading your best offensive weapon on defense is fandom at its worst, and lacks any common sense what so ever.

I’m not trying to insult any posters, but tacking on that we need a scorer just to justify your hatred for DD is nonsense. Why not just come out and say trade him regardless of what it does to the team. Stop trying to find an angle with every adversity the Kings come across..

The one thing that does make me happy about seeing all of the Doughty hatred is the fact that Drew’s going to be here for eight years. So, whether you like it or you don’t like it, learn to love it, because that’s the way it’s going to be.

I do think DD has not produced to his potential, but his average is better than most in the league.

Numbers wise, he is tied for 34th in the league (with JJ among others I might add), and yet plays on a team that is 30th in offense.

If he had those low numbers on a team like Philly, I would question wether 6 million dollars was worth it.

Not all players with bad numbers are the product of them being subpar. Rick Nash is a player many (even here) think could actually help us score more goals. He is currently the 2nd worst player defensively if you go by +/-.

Is Rick Nash a crappy player who is over paid, and over rated, or just on a crappy team?

By the way, DD is the minutes leader on the 4rth best team in the league defensively.

“Numbers wise, he is tied for 34th in the league (with JJ among others I might add), and yet plays on a team that is 30th in offense.”

So let me get this straight: 34th in the league among defensemen only is okay for a guy that is 15th in actual salary and 3rd in cap hit? Does his underperformance not contribute to the team’s underperformance?

“By the way, DD is the minutes leader on the 4th best team in the league defensively.”

I said this: “One can cite the box score, but that is not the complete story. Yes, Ovechkin had no points and Droughty was his main matchup, but this was not ENTIRELY due to Droughty; in fact, Ovechkin’s greatest chances came because of Droughty mistakes. I also said last article, “I postulate that the team succeeds defensively despite Due Droughty.” Last night, at times, this was true, and when Droughty is being paid top-dollar he can have no excuses for glaring defensive lapses.”

I do not paint a picture that is black and white, or polarized. You would need to attribute that to me falsely in order to create a counter-position. To just say he is the minutes leader on the 4th best team defensiovely is to over-simplify, and it also ignores the entire offensive side of his game.

My point was more due to the fact that his production has more to do with him being on a crappy team offensively.

If he was on a good team offensively (which he isn’t), he would have better offensive numbers just like if Nash was on a better team defensively, he wouldn’t be rated as the 2nd worst defensive player in the game right now.

Are you serious? This is actually insulting. I know you don’t mean to do that, and look, I know we have mutual respect, but we are gonna have to work really hard not to get ugly on this one.

In my articles on “Due Droughty” parts one and deux, I could not have been more specific, or I think more correct on problems with Doughty’s game.

My original article focused mostly on his offensive lacking; at that time Doughty had 3 goals, Johnson had 5 goals and Matt Greene and Davis Drewiske had 2 apiece. Tonight, Johnson has 7 and Greene 3, while Doughty still has 3. Doughty has maintained an even goal-scoring pace with the healthy scratch Drewiske. I am not saying it’s all bad: that would be blind. I am saying the contribution is not enough, the production is not enough, the results and actual goddamn scoring stats are not enough. I mean, what exactly would it take for you to admit that his offense is lacking? For fuck’s sake, Voynov has 4, Mitchell 2, Martinez 2, even Scott Parse has 2 goals. Doughty has 3 and that’s okay?

Let me make this clear: Greene, with almost no power play time, is in a goal-scoring race with Doughty and he’s EQUAL. Compare salaries, compare expectations, compare ice time. Do not waste my time telling me about Doughty being matched against the other4 team’s top line, either, that is more than compensated by the PP time and besides, at 7 mill or whatever Doughty is expected and has already been paid to score and defend. He is doing neither as well as he should, as well as he once did, and as well as his pay grade demands.

My first article also mentioned some defensive problems with his game that lead to chances against, that hurt the team, and that are again unacceptable for his position on this team. By ice time, salary, expectations, and measure, he is under performing according to what is expected and what he demanded to be paid for. I was extremely specific about particular tendencies, recurring tendencies, recurring motherfucking-tendencies with his game that should not happen.

The very next game, the Capitals game, I mean immediately, every single one of those problems were manifested, save one: Doughty did not shoot or pass into a defender’s feet very much that game. Against the AV’s, however, this was entirely evident, and at crucial times during the game.

After the Capitals game, I could not possibly have been more specific about what Doughty did wrong, and I even game you times on the game clock. Somehow, you elt it correct to reply to me that you did not agree with my interpretation of those mistakes, but you did not list any credible objections or disagreements. I have no idea how you can watch Doughty get beat by Ovechkin at least three time resulting in clear outnumbered attacks against and still say you disagree with my view on the play. Either Doughty has inside position or he doesn’t, either it’s a two on one or it isn’t, either he gets caught roving around and is late to join the play resulting in a GOAL AGAINST or he didn’t. As well, you came to me telling me you “felt” Doughty didn’t have that bad of a game, and then quoted those advanced stats, such as Fenwad, Of Coursie, etc. Screw zone possession time, screw opposition quotients, if those numbers described a good game after his outing against the Capitals then those “advanced” stats need some tuning up.

The guy’s game is off, is off dramatically from his own standards, and even more dramatically from the standards his salary requires.

Actually, it’s the general nature of the comment that provoked me. To call criticism “blind hatred” clearly implies that you think there could be no legitimate reason for criticism. If you handle that criticism point by point, then it is an argument, as in debate. If not addreessed specifically, then the problems ensue.

Many of the the people above are specific in hteir criticisms, most who are not specific here have been so in the recent past.

“What I felt you were missing was that for every one of your criticims for DD. There were at least 2 for other players…”

This is not true. It is flatly incorrect. It is intellectually dishonest to say so. You cannot name a time, or period, for those things because they did not happen. I kept track of all defensive mistakes that game. ALL of them, by every defenseman. Every handle of the puck that did not deliver the intended result, or was a bad decision, was noted. It was not at all difficult, either. I made a simple chart and looked for (1) pass into feet/legs, (2) shot into feet/legs, (3) errant pass, (4) give away (5) beaten for position.

By give away, I do not mean yielding the puck by just dumping it out of the zone. I mean a flub of a pass, or a bad pass to an opponent or that an opponent intercepted, or a pass that handcuffs our guy and makes life too difficult in that instance. Mitchell lifting out off the glass is what is intended, Scuderi dumping it down the boards is what is intended, so even of the other team gets it, Scuderi’s intention was accomplished by his action.

Jack Johnson; 16:50 of the 1st, a shot into feet. 13:35 of the 1st, errant pass. The rest of the entire game Johnson playede very well, played within himself and didn’t try to do too much. He scored a goal, had another incredible chance and almost scored, he rushed without giving up a counterattack, he maintained inside position defensively. In other words, he took it seriously and made good decisions. He played his role well.

Rob Scuderi: 12:45 of the 1st, a give away. The rest of the game Scuderi droned on in his usual conservative way, never giving up inside position, dumping it back down the boards, playing within himself. In other words, he took it seriously and made good decisions. He played his role well.

Alec Martinez, at 4:25 of the 2nd, a give away. The rest of the game he played his role well.

Mitchell had a nearly flawless game. Greene had a nearly flawless game.

There were NOT two mistakes by others for every one by Doughty; it was reversed.

Anyway, this whole argument is moot. Johnson is an offensive defenseman, Scuderi is a stay at home D-man. Doughty is paid to be both. He does neither well with any consistency. He has good games at one and bad games at the other, sometimes he has good games at both, but he usually has mediocre games at both. In that game, he was far less than mediocre at both.

I told you what he had been doing very often in the first article, then in the second article I proved it.

“…you made no references to their mistakes. Only DD’s.”

Wrong. I said this: “As for the “seeking of level” I mentioned between Johnson and Droughty, last night was also the perfect illustration of just that. Johnson’s only defensive mistake came late in the 3rd period with the Kings up 5-1 where he wandered toward the point and the Caps overloaded the net for a goal. This was the only blemish on an otherwise stellar game, with a goal and an assist, solid defense, excellent passing, and numerous other scoring chances on the rush.”

And, in the first article, I said this: “Any objective review of the season so far and even the last 5 games where his game has somewhat improved, admittedly under a microscope while only focusing on the negative, finds many simple, fundamental, basic failings in all zones of play, and in all game situations.”

This was the premise of both articles. The articles were about Doughty, in relation to his salary and position as a supposed team leader. Actually, the article would have been much more harsh if I had concentrated on comparison to other players.

When people say that in a big game your best players have to be the best players, that is Doughty. It’s Doughty, Kopitar, Quick, Mitchell, Williams, Richards and Brown.

Doughty does not play within himself, he does not make good decisions, and he does not score enough goals, relative to his salary-based expectations. He also repeats simple mistakes that other players do not.

It seems this focus on Doughty’s play, and comparison’s within the teams D-men does display a complete overpayment, and a ” we’re Fucked” outlook.
While this contract in it’s infancy is surely an overpayment on a grand and saddening scale.
Why did Doughty ” WOW ” us, and the League during his rookie and then his Norris nominated season. It was Not His Stat’s alone.
He had this Kid on the pond attitude, he was rolling out with speed, doing his Spin-O-Ramma against world class talent as if his approach to the game was at a different level, and the ceiling was unlimited. Getting a call to the Olympic team was not a DL move….the League was loving him, Hell, Stamkos was still trying to figure out the NHL.
But we were just trying to make the playoff’s back then, and he brought it against Vancouver, and he was our brightest star….
Then the consussion happened, and we used it as a possible reason for last years down season. OR we blamed his friend Simmonds, as a distraction, so the Kings choose to move with Clifford, part with a guy who would score 20+ maybe 30, to get the most out of Doughty.
So here we are blaming the holdout, the Europe trip, maybe the contract expectations and overpayment…..He took the league and the world by storm, and now he is mortal.
BUT….he has made great defensive plays, back checks, hits and sacrifices throughtout his years including this one.
And where he was once the gem of his draft class, he has been knocked down peg by peg…Stamkos is great, Pietriangelo and Myers might be higher and more consistant, Bogosian may be nearing his time to shine.
Doughty has always had his lapses, but it was how he responded, giving up a 2 on none, getting back to take away the one time pass. Blocking a shot behind our goalie. NOT worth 7 million when you have 3 goals, but we loved it when he had 16, or forgave him.
The common denominator is PRESSURE. He has responded well at times, and anything but piss poor at times. Does that make him average???
We All Want Our Doughty Back, because he gave us hope…..
Many of the players from his draft class had more pressure in their first or second year than he did…..he played his fun loving style and we all fed off it
He’s our guy, at 7 million cap hit for 7 more seasons.
WE have to overpay to keep players in LA.
WE have to overpay to bring players to LA
I’m not sure how we would have felt losing Doughty RFA this past summer
Our best players need to be our best players
The Pressure to win, does not ride only on The Doughty
He does not look like he’s taking shifts off, even though we wish he’d had
This season is not over
GO KINGS GO

Bobby, thank you so much for this article. I’m taking a business law class and we’re talking contracts right now so this was a perfect way to get this hockey minded girl to understand the requirements of a contract. Now, there’s another reason that you guys are my go to guys for anything Kings!